EXHIBIT 99.1




                            CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
                             18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
                             AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
                  SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

Pursuant to section  906 of the  Sarbanes-Oxley  Act of 2002 (18 U.S.C.  section
1350),  the  undersigned,  the plan  administrator  of The South Financial Group
401(k) Plan (the "Plan"),  an employee  benefit plan  associated  with The South
Financial Group, Inc., a corporation headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina
("TSFG"), does hereby certify that:

         (1) The Transition  Report on Form 11-K for the year ended December 31,
2002 (the  "Form  11-K") of the Plan fully  complies  with the  requirements  of
section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

         (2) The information  contained in the Form 11-K fairly presents, in all
material  respects,  the  financial  condition  and results of operations of the
Plan.



Dated: January 7, 2004            /s/ David R. Bell
                                  --------------------------
                                  David R. Bell
                                  Director of Compensation - Benefits,
                                  Plan Administrator

The foregoing certification is being furnished solely pursuant to section 906 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley  Act of 2002 (18 U.S.C.  section 1350) and is not being filed
as part of the Form 11-K or as a separate disclosure document.

A signed  original of this  written  statement  required by section 906 has been
provided to TSFG and will be retained by TSFG and  furnished  to the  Securities
and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.